London, England (January 24, 2007) The British Basketball Association (BBA) has entered into a partnership with the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) aimed at developing players and raising the profile of the British game ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games. 

Professional basketball in the United Kingdom has been in a state of decline over the past five years resulting in lower overall attendance and decreased player standards. 

The current professional league has experienced financial and operational difficulties leading to the departure of franchises in key markets.

The BBA/CBA partnership will focus on increasing player, coaching and officiating standards as well as grassroots development of the next generation of British basketball talent.  

Other areas of concentration will include joint promotion, sponsorship marketing, media coverage, access to foreign talent and international competition. Importantly, the partnership will benefit from each group’s talents in the areas of corporate finance, business strategy and basketball operations. 

Commenting on the announcement, BBA Chief Executive Ron Scott said,

“We have always stated our objectives are to leverage our network and business experience in order to bring better basketball to Great Britain. Partnering with the CBA with their established platform and record of achievement will give BBA clubs access to the advice, ideas and guidance required to build successful businesses.”   

Ricardo Richardson, Chief Executive of CBA Properties, LLC said, 

 “Our new direction at the CBA is to develop and market basketball on a global level by working closely with countries that have rich potential and a passion for sport. Working with the BBA and Great Britain as a whole presents us with an exceptional opportunity to use our talents and experience to help build a professional league which will become one of the most competitive in Europe”.  

The CBA is the world’s oldest professional basketball league and is currently entering its 61^st year of operation.

It is registered with USA Basketball and FIBA and has standing agreements with all major global leagues in the world for the development of players, coaches and management executives.   

The CBA was once the development league of the NBA and still leads other professional leagues in NBA call-ups each season. Over 600 players and coaches have been called up to the NBA in the past 20 years. Several coaches and players are currently serving in the NBA including Phil Jackson, Maurice Cheeks, George Carl and Avery Johnson.